As the IPL reaches its culmination, we take a look at the most expensive players who flopped and failed to live up to the expectations.

Pawan Negi of the Daredevils was bought for Rs 8.5 cr but failed to live up to the expectations. (AFP)

Pawan Negi (R 8.5 crore)

From a base price of R 30 lakh to an unbelievable R 8.5 crore, Pawan Negi’s fairytale lasted the IPL auction’s length. With 57 runs and just one wicket from eight matches, Negi is probably the costliest dud ever.

He started the tournament as the only other foreigner captain apart from David Warner and a price tag of R 12.5 crore for being retained by Kings XI Punjab. He ended losing his mantle and scoring just 161 runs in 14 matches.

Chris Gayle (R 9.5 crore)

West Indies player Chris Gayle too has had a lean season going for him.
(Hindustan Times)

Retained at R 9.5 crore, it seemed Chris Gayle would never come to the party. But for a face-saving 73 against a hapless Kings XI side, Gayle had nothing to write home about, except for maybe the birth of his daughter and another controversy involving a journalist.

Sunil Narine (R 9.5 crore)

Sunil Narine has picked just 11 wickets and has been expensive in bowling.
(Hindustan Times)

The air of invincibility was gone last year. This time, batsmen were coming down the track and hitting Sunil Narine across the line. He has had his action problems but at R 9.5 crore, Narine was expected to take more than 11 wickets and an economy of less than seven per over.

R Ashwin (R 7.5 crore)

Ravichandran Ashwin hasn’t even bowled his full quota of overs this season.
(AFP)

This has been a bizarre tournament for R Ashwin. Not only were there times when he didn’t get his full quota of overs, his bowling also looked sub-par compared to the standards set by him. He got 10 wickets in 14 matches at an economy of 7.25.